Feel Good Foods– Foods that give your serotonin levels a boost!
Ever wonder if what we eat could be connected to our mood? It can! Research tells us that tryptophan is an amino acid that plays a role in the production of serotonin in the body. People cannot make tryptophan but it can be obtained from one’s diet. When we think of tryptophan we often think of Thanksgiving turkey but we should also think about a better mood! This is because tryptophan helps produce serotonin in the body. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that is thought to help stabilize our mood. Eating a well balanced diet including protein sources, adequate fruit and vegetable intake, whole grains and nuts/seeds can be a way to support our mental and physical health. Including sources of tryptophan in the diet can have positive effects on our energy levels, mood and sleep.
Additional research has also shown that when a diet is low in tryptophan, brain serotonin levels drop. However, research is ongoing to determine how much tryptophan-containing foods can affect serotonin levels in the brain. Below is a list of tryptophan containing foods that may help increase serotonin levels.
1) Eggs
Research from a 2015 study demonstrated that the protein in an egg could boost blood plasma levels of tryptophan. Egg yolks also contain tyrosine, choline, biotin, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that contribute to overall health.
2) Dairy including milk and cheese
Cheese is another great source of tryptophan. Add it into eggs, serve on a sandwich or layer into a pasta dish for an added tryptophan boost!
3) Tofu & other soy based products
Soy products are rich sources of tryptophan. You can use tofu or tempeh in replacement of almost any animal protein in a recipe. Some tofu is calcium-set, which provides an additional calcium boost.
4) Salmon
Salmon is always a win win in our book – we generally know it contains omega-3 fatty acids, helps balance cholesterol and lowers blood pressure. Now we know it contains tryptophan which can help us stabilize our mood!
5) Nuts and seeds
Lucky you! All nuts and seeds contain tryptophan. In addition to tryptophan they also contain fiber, vitamins and antioxidants! Some studies show that eating a handful of nuts per day can also lower your risk for certain cancers, heart disease, and respiratory issues.
6. Turkey
Last but not least – our most obvious tryptophan containing food. We’ve always heard about the tryptophan in that Thanksgiving turkey making us tired but now we know that the tryptophan can also help put us in a good mood!
We can gather that tryptophan containing foods seem to be those foods and food groups containing protein. While adding these foods in cannot guarantee a serotonin boost because more research is needed – there is promising research it can! These foods are part of a healthful diet so it couldn’t hurt to add them anyway!
Filling Your Diet with Serotonin Releasing Foods: Fact or Fiction?
Is it true if you eat foods high in tryptophan you’ll boost serotonin levels? We demonstrated that most protein-containing foods (some also containing iron, riboflavin and vitamin B6) all tend to have high amounts of tryptophan but does this cause an actual serotonin release? By themselves, no these foods won’t release serotonin but there is one way to help – add in a carbohydrate containing food.
Ingesting carbohydrates causes the body to release insulin – this in turn promotes amino acid absorption and the tryptophan from the protein foods remains in the blood. So, if we mix high-tryptophan foods with carbohydrates, we may get a serotonin boost.
Easy carbohydrate containing foods to add to this food list include: rice, oats/oatmeal, whole grains, and many others!
Learn more about Anchor Wellness and their Integrative Nutritional Counseling by visiting here!
